9000 Days
by jekyllhj7
Summary: David Karofsky is 25 years old, finally reaching the end of a long journey.
1. 1 Siyalinda  The Waiting

9000 Days

**A/N – This story came to me based on a song from the film **_**Invictus**_**. 9000 days is approximately 24 years. **

David Karofsky was twenty five years old. For twenty four of those years he had been hiding behind a façade. His parents had created it, society had molded and added to it, and then he, himself, had perfected it. Almost no one had ever suspected what lay behind it. He had dropped the façade almost exactly one year ago. Three hundred and sixty-five days out of twenty five years - such a short period of time to truly be yourself.

It had been a long journey that had brought him to this particular street corner in this particular city on this particular night. And it would only be a few more steps and a few more hours before he reached his destination.

He sat in the darkness watching the show, marveling at simple courage displayed there. Courage he had lacked for so long. Only a year ago did he finally come to the decision that courage did not entail violence, or confrontation. It was exactly the opposite. It took courage to walk away, it took courage to choose not to fight every battle.

His mind wandered to each one of those twenty four years. Every moment seemed to flash before his mind's eye, every mistake, every bad decision, every bit of hurt he caused. But that was not what this journey was about. This journey he had undertaken had a greater purpose. This journey was not about what had happened, was not about the past. It was about what could happen.

Once more he stood on the corner. It was less crowded due to the late hour. He waited. Waited for the one person in all those twenty four years who had caught a glimpse of the real David Karofsky.

The unmarked stage door opened and into the night stepped the man he had journeyed so far and so long to see – Kurt.

**A/N – Okay.. I'm not really sure about this one. I was just trying to get these images that were appearing in my head out. Let me know if it makes sense. Oh, and you can hear the song this is based on. Just go to youtube and search for 9000 days Invictus I tried to match the tone.**


	2. 2 Inkathi  Time

**A/N – People have asked me to continue. Here it goes and we'll see what happens. FYI – Chapter titles are Zulu – they are track titles from the Invictus CD. They fit with the original song, and also with my plan for this story.**

2 – Inkathi (Time)

Time seemed to stand still. It only took seconds for the door to open and the young man to step out. He graciously signed a few autographs for people who were waiting. Dave stood off to the side, watching in wonder at how someone could be so different yet exactly the same. It had been years since he had laid eyes on Kurt. Until this evening he wondered if he would be disappointed. He had carried a mental picture for so many years – not daring to approach the real thing – and he knew that sometimes the mind could change the image to suit its own purposes. He watched as Kurt smiled at the comments people made and took the time to pose for photos. It made him smile to see Kurt so happy.

It wasn't long until Dave was the only person left standing there. Kurt approached him and made to take the playbill he held in his hands. Their eyes met and Dave thought he saw a glimmer of recognition there, but then it was gone. He felt a pang of disappointment deep inside. Why had he expected Kurt to remember him? Or even if he did, the memories would be full of hate and fear and likely to be locked away.

Dave handed the playbill to Kurt, his hand trembling, not from the cold. The smaller man took it and looked at him expectantly.

"To David." He said.

Kurt paused and looked up again, once more searching Dave's face for something. Then he spoke. "David Karofsky?"

Time seemed to slip away, yet stand still. They seemed to be outside of time. It had been so many years, yet there seemed to be some kind of thread holding them together.

"Yes." He said with a smile.

Kurt smiled in return – a genuine smile that warmed Dave's heart.

"It's been so long."

**A/N – Yeah, kind of weird. But I'm trying to keep with the same tone. I do have kind of a plan for this now. Reviews are always welcomed. **


	3. 3 Ukunqoba To Conquer

**9000 Days**

**A/N – Like my other story, Suddenly David, it seems that Dave has taken this one over too. I had an outline and everything, but he wanted more. He wanted to tell his story. So here we go. This chapter is how Dave came to be standing at that corner that night.**

_**Ukunqoba (To Conquer)**_

Dave couldn't quite believe it when he found himself sitting across a table from Kurt at a diner just down the street from the theater. There hadn't been a grand reunion, or some sappy hugging and kissing. Kurt had simply smiled and asked him if he had wanted to get a cup of coffee. So here he was telling his story to the man who had started it all.

After you left McKinley, I thought I'd be okay. I mean, in my mind, the problem was gone. I could just go on with my life. I seemed to just go around on autopilot. My grades did go back up (yeah, can you believe I got As and Bs?)

Anyway, I managed to get through high school and even managed to get out of Lima. I wanted a new start. Got a hockey scholarship Syracuse. I was undecided for a while, but finally decided on History with a minor in Psychology. I guess it was some weird attempt to figure myself out.

So anyway, in the summer after my junior year, I was looking for a job. I tended to try to get jobs over the summers so I didn't have to go home. That summer my psychology professor told me about this program for At Risk kids. It's kind of a summer camp for these kids to get them out of the cities and show them there's more to life.

I signed up and it was an eye opener. I saw myself in these kids. In the beginning of the summer, they all had so much anger. A lot of them were bullies, on the road to a life in a gang or worse. I helped out in the counseling office and also coached some of the kids in roller hockey. But they seemed to be better when they left. When school started up again that fall, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to help these kids.

The following summer, after I had graduated, I went back to the camp, now as a fully qualified counselor. I listened to the kids tell their stories and I could actually relate to them. They seemed to connect with me when I told them how I had been in high school.

I worked for the organization for a couple of years. They had other programs that ran during the year. I was really making something of myself. It was just last year that I decided to come out. I knew who I was finally. I couldn't keep telling these kids to be true to themselves and not care what the people around them thought, if I wasn't doing it myself. It wasn't some big party or announcement, just a decision in my own head. But it was almost like walking out of a prison I hadn't even known I was in.

This past summer I was working with a group of kids. I told them my story and one of them asked if I had ever seen the guy I bullied again. They told me I should try to find him.

So after camp ended, I decided to go for it.

**A/N – Bit of a change in tone for this one - next chapter is back to our normally scheduled programming. I am really not sure how I feel about this chapter. I am feeling woefully inadequate after reading some other fics today. **


	4. 4 Xolela Forgiveness

_**9000 Days**_

**A/N – Yeah, been a while. Other stories came up… I've just gotten another idea for a video I want to work on… searching for Max at the Golden Globes last night (really nice in his black shirt and jacket with that purple/blue tie) *melts***

**Anyway…. I do want to get this story finished before the show starts up again. **

_4 – Xolela (Forgiveness)_

Dave finished his story and took a sip of his coffee. Silence hung between the two men.

"Wow." Kurt finally broke the silence.

Dave smiled at the response. "That's it? 'Wow.'?"

A feeling of acceptance seemed to come between them. Kurt smiled back. "I'm just surprised. Never in a million years would I have dreamed you would be working with at risk kids. Not that I dream of you or anything." He quickly added. "I thought you'd be some big hockey star or something."

"So did I." Dave admitted. "But seeing those kids... I saw myself. I saw you." He looked down at the table. "I didn't want it to happen again."

Another silence fell over the small table. Both of them hadn't really mentioned much about their history and now here it was.

"Don't worry about it. It's over. We've both gotten past it." Kurt said.

Still staring at the table top, Dave picked up a sugar packet and flipped it over in his hands. "History always repeats itself." He mumbled.

"What?"

"I told you I studied history too." Dave said, still gazing at the sugar packet. "Just because it's in the past doesn't mean we should forget about it. That's what I thought when I left Lima. I thought it was over and all I had to do was move on with my life. Then I saw those kids. I saw what I did to you. I saw how much I hurt you. I don't ever want to forget that."

Kurt was silent for a moment. "You said you came to terms with yourself. Did you come here for my forgiveness or to forgive yourself?"

**A/N – Yeah, bit of a crap chapter. I find Kurt very hard to write. Dave is more me. I can get into his head so much better. Should be one more chapter. Not sure how things are going to work out. **


	5. 5 Thanda Love

**A/N – Sorry it's been so long… real life craziness. Plus I think my muse didn't like the mountains of snow we got in December and January and fled. This should be the last chapter. I don't want to drag this on and on... hey it was originally just a one shot. Hopefully this works for everyone.**

**5 – Thanda (Love)**

Dave stared at Kurt. That one question seemed to bring everything together. Yes, on the surface he appeared to have gotten his life on track. He seemed to have moved past the things he had done in high school. But had he?

"Honestly, I thought it was the first one. But now I'm not sure." He looked at Kurt, then back at the table top. Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out he continued, speaking barely above a whisper. "Even though I've accepted who… and what I am, I've never really, um, done anything about it."

He kept his eyes on the table; sure Kurt would laugh at him. Instead there was silence. Dave ventured a look across the table. The look the other man had on his face was indecipherable.

"You're not laughing." Dave said matter of factly.

"No." Kurt said pausing for a moment as if he were trying to figure out what to say. "You're not… umm… you're not saving yourself for me?"

There was yet another awkward few minutes of silence before a loud guffaw broke the stillness of the diner. Interestingly enough, it was Dave who broke the silence.

"What?" Kurt actually looked offended at Dave's laughter.

Dave took a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry. It's just you thought…. Oh god… 'saving myself'?" He said, still chuckling.

Kurt sat up straight and folded his arms across his chest, attempting to look put out.

"Kurt, I'm sorry." He smiled. "I think we needed that though. What I meant was, I think I was holding on to the past too much. By continuing to dwell on what I had done to you, I wasn't moving forward. I knew I was gay, but all I could think of was you and high school. I don't think I've even really looked at another guy, but I think it's about time I give it a try."

Kurt relaxed a bit. "So you're not interested in me anymore?"

"You haven't changed a whole lot have you? Here I am having a great epiphany, and you're making it about you." He laughed; making sure Kurt knew he was kidding.

The End

**A/N - So that's it… maybe more in the future. I don't know if Kurt and Dave could be more than friends, but I wanted to have Dave really come to terms with who he is and what happened and I don't think he can do that without Kurt.**

**Thanks for reading everyone! **


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